Titan Greg Bird and Eels' Jaryd Hayne embrace at full time after their Round 11 clash at Mudgee Stadium.Source: News Limited

COUNTRY footy grounds, traditionally, are best measured by the number of cartons sold on Sunday afternoon.

"But in Mudgee, it's different now,", says mayor Des Kennedy. "Out here, games of footy can make us millions."

As the future of Scully Park, Tamworth - arguably the most famous footy field in country NSW - heats up this month, The Sunday Telegraph decided to ask the people of Mudgee, population 10,000, what a decent ground means to them.

Knowing that only last year, this battling little league town opened a footy complex that, costing some $10 million to complete, is now the premier sporting ground in western NSW. And for proof consider that in the 18 months since the ribbon was cut, Mudgee has hosted a City-Country game, an NRL match, even State titles for soccer, rugby union and touch.

Country Rugby League players Luke Douglas and Beau Scott talk to young fans at Mudgee Stadium.Source: News Limited

"And according to extensive research, every visitor to those events brings $381,'' says Julie Robertson, Economic Development Officer at Mudgee Council . "You look at this year's NRL game between Parramatta and the Gold Coast, half the 10,000 crowd were visitors to the region. That means about $1.9 million was invested into Mudgee.

"And that's just one of the events people know about too. We host junior soccer titles here where 20 teams, each with squads of about 20 players, stay in town four days. Throw in their parents, family friends and so on ... the injection into the local community is incredible."

Unfortunately for league fans of Scully Park, the future is far less clear.

Having played host to NRL trials, Amco Cup games, even Test matches, locals were furious when told recently that West Tamworth Leagues Club, which adjoins the famous old ground, plans to convert said turf into a motel, complete with function centres.

According to the club's plan, Scully Park be demolished and redeveloped at a site currently dubbed, Scully 2 _ land the club doesn't own.

The Country Rugby League team training on the back oval at Glen Willow Sporting Complex in MudgeeSource: News Limited

And at this point it should be noted Mudgee's new complex, $5 million of which was paid for by the former Rudd Labor Government, is not on the same site as Mudgee's old league ground.

But in Scully Park you're talking about a venue that hosted several Great Britain touring sides, the most famous of which Northern Division won 36-12 in 1988.

Tamworth Regional Council has floated airy plans to build a $10m, 6000-seat stadium, a move that looks more like a PR smokescreen than a genuine alternative.

But rather than moving the ground, locals are keen to develop a playing surface to rival that of Mudgee. And why wouldn't you?

Knowing that when Mudgee hosted the City-Country game in 2012, there was so much hype around the event that the local footy side, the Mudgee Dragons, made $20,000 - or double the figure of the previous year - when auctioning off individual sponsorship for their jerseys.

The Dragons juniors, meanwhile, made the type of profit that comes with selling 900kg of hot chips through three game-day canteens.

The City rugby league team during a final training session at Glen Willow Sporting Complex in MudgeeSource: News Limited

"And there is hardly a weekend where the venue isn't booked,'' Robertson adds. "In May we've got the NSW Country Championships for rugby, then in April a Trans Tasman Touch footy event. Our next step is to extend the number of fields we have, which is currently about a dozen, to 20 so we can host the biggest sports carnivals too."

Indeed, so professionally is the Mudgee complex run, the Council has been asked by other towns in western NSW to explain exactly how they've done it.

"We made a decision that was in the best interests of Mudgee,'' Mayor Kennedy says. "And while the Government funded us well, we still had to find $5 million which some locals think should go towards better roads, more library books and so on.

"But this ground, it's put Mudgee on the map as a major sports venue. We still have to work hard to drive it, you can't just build something and expect people to turn up. But this is a ground that, for the next 50 years. . . it's going to be making money for this town".

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